- Vehicles
- 27,000
- Built between
- Aug 1980 – Oct 1980
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 3 October 1980
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 1980 and October 1980. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1981 Ford EscortBuilt August 1980 to October 1980
- 1981 Mercury LynxBuilt August 1980 to October 1980
What the defect is
On certain vehicles, the right and left hand rear brake backing plate attachment bolts may not have been tightened to the correct specifications. Backing plate bolts may not be able to withstand the loads experienced during truck shipment. If the bolts loosen from the spindle during operation, backing plate movement may result in weakening or premature wear of one or both rear brake tubes. This could lead to loss of brake fluid.
What gets fixed
DEALER WILL INSPECT AND TIGHTEN THE BOLTS TO THE PROPER SPECIFICATIONS. REAR BRAKE TUBES WILL BE REPLACED, IF NECESSARY, AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 1980 to October 1980
- Recall reported to NHTSA3 October 1980
- Owners notified3 October 1980
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 3 October 1980.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles.system: service brakes; rear brake backing plate, attachment bolts.consequences of defect: loss of brake fluid would cause loss of brakingcapability on the rear brake adjacent to the broken tube and on the oppositeside front brake. Although partial braking capability would remain, the vehiclestopping distance would be increased and an accident could result. If both rearbrake tubes fail, all hydraulic braking would be lost and loss of vehiclecontrol and an accident could occur.note: a loose backing plate may result in noticeable noise during vehicleoperation.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.